*Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

The Demon in the Leaves

Sasuke watched as the giant fox and tanuki disappeared.

Is the battle over?

"Sasuke! Sakura!" He turned to the call as Sakura fell out of the sand. The rest of the konohoa genin had followed behind (even the injured Neji, Hinata, Lee and Shino had come with the aid of the others).

"What's going' on?!" asked Kiba. "Sounds like a storm! We thought we saw monsters on our way here!"

Ino smiled sweetly, blushing, "Did you defeat him already Sasuke?"

"No," he frowned, "Naruto was fighting him, desperately, to save us. He showed a strength I've never seen in him before but… I think it's over now."

They all paused, shocked, before Choji and Ino helped Sakura as she regained consciousness. They headed to Naruto and Gaara, landing behind Naruto on the ground. "That pain… of being alone… it's not trivial… the way you feel… I dunno why, but… I understand it so well… the hurt… But… I've got people who care about me now… people that are important to me… I won't let you hurt them… even if I have to kill you… I will stop this…"

Gaara frowned, "Why… Why should you care about others…?"

"They saved me from my pit of loneliness… and they understand me… I couldn't live without them… I love them."

"…Love…" Kankuro and Temari landed next to Gaara. "It's allright… I quit."

"Okay, right," Kankuro begins to help Gaara up to leave.

"Wait!" Gaara stopped them, "I have to know!" Naruto peeked open an eye. "You're like me, aren't you?!" he looked close to tears, "What my village did to me- your village did to you, didn't it?"

Naruto swallowed, too tired to realize there was all the genin behind him, "Yeah, they did."

"I wasn't born human- how long were you-?"

"Third man Hokage said I was for ten minutes."

The group behind paused in shock.

Naruto isn't… human?

"Has anyone tried? Like my father did? Has anyone tried to kill you?"

"Once, as far as I know- there was probably more."

"Then how?" Gaara's voice broke, tears spilling as he continued to probe Naruto, not understanding that Konohoa wasn't like his own home, where everyone knew what he was. "How do you control it? The power, the bloodlust, you hold it back. Your power stays in check- even when your life is under threat you don't give in. You don't even access the chakra keeping your other power down. How do you control yourself? How are you not crushed under the weight of it?!"

Naruto smiled, "Like I told you, I have people I want to protect-"

"They tortured you! They shunned you! You were sacrificed and nobody cares! They all wish you were dead!"

"I know. I know, but there are some I want to protect. Besides I want to be Hokage one day, if I destroy the village- what would be the point?" He chuckled.

Gaara couldn't contain the tears anymore as the genin watched in confusion. Temari and Kankuro picked up Gaara, "I am Gaara, the one-tailed demon tanuki."

Sasuke was there, Naruto knew that much even if he was unaware of the other genin. But Gaara was kin.

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki, the nine-tailed demon fox."

He nodded, a small smile on his face, the first genuine smile Naruto had seen, and the three sand ninja disappeared as Naruto finally faded into sleep.

Sakura shook, staring at her teammate, "Naruto is…?"

Moments they'd seen came together: Zabuza, fighting Orochimaru, Neji's battle…

What could you understand about having an inescapable curse?!

They seated themselves around him, looking at his sleeping face. Goofy; innocent. Ino shook her head, "This is just- it's not possible!"

Sasuke furrowed his brow, "I think… it's true. I've seen things. Sometimes… sometimes I'm even afraid of him."

Sakura nodded, "When we were fighting Zabuza and Haku, Naruto thought you died, didn't he?"

"Yeah."

"There was a roar and I don't think I'd ever felt such bloodlust. Naruto completely overwhelmed Haku. I didn't really see it, didn't believe it but…"

"Naruto- that idiot- is a demon?"

"A monster."

"All of you then?" Naruto mumbled, turning over but still too tired to stand, "Even all of you?" They all stood in silence, "If you want to kill me this is the only chance you'll have. After all, I'm just a monster right?"

"Naruto- what is going on?" Sakura shook her head, tears forming, "You're the…?"

"It's more complicated than that. Even I don't know the full details."

Lee shook his head, "But why don't we know?"

"Law. No one was allowed to tell all of you. The adults at the time of the fox that knew… they despise me. They just think I'm a demon and blame me for what happened that day. My birthday. He didn't want it to happen with everyone else so he banned people talking about it, not that it made any difference. At least you saw me as Naruto, you didn't deny me that one right."

Sasuke shook his head in confusion, "Right…?"

Naruto smiled sadly, "The right to exist." Their faces fell even further, unsure of what to say, "Well, at least until now."

Sakura punched Naruto in the arm, "Don't be stupid you moron! Besides, we're teammates aren't we?"

Naruto knew they weren't really okay with it. But maybe, one day, they would be. "Yeah!"